ECU, higher education in the news

Two professors in the College of Technology and Computer Science at East Carolina University have been recognized for outstanding work in their respective fields.

Hamid Fonooni, associate professor in the Department of Technology Systems, received the William E. Tarrants Outstanding Safety Educator Award, sponsored by American Society of Safety Engineers and PPG Industries. The award is presented annually to recognize exemplary teaching, scholarship and professional service in safety, health and environmental education. It is the highest award a safety educator can receive.

Fonooni teaches in the Master’s of Occupational Safety program. His research areas include occupational safety and health, leadership and scholarship, and strategic planning. A former Academics Practice Specialty administrator, Fonooni won the ASSE Eastern Carolina Chapter Outstanding Volunteer Service Award in 2012 and the Academics COPS Award in 2005.

As a recipient of the Outstanding Safety Educator Award, Fonooni presented at a conference titled “International Network of Safety and Health Practitioner Organizations” in Canada. He was the only invited speaker from the United States representing academia.

Robert Chin, a professor in the Department of Technology Systems, recently received the Orthogonal Medal, which is presented to individuals in the field of graphics. It was created in 1985 to honor those who have made outstanding contributions to the advancement of graphic science. The award is recognized nationally as one of the most respected awards in the field of engineering graphics and its recipients have been educators and leaders.

Chin’s primary focus has been on the scholarship of learning, which includes experimenting with methods of instructional delivery or the use of instructional technology, adapting pedagogical approaches from widely differing disciplines, and developing and testing new technical content to prepare students for professions and leadership positions in business and industry.

In April, he will be the 2014 Distinguished Lecturer at the 30th annual Distinguished Lecture series offered by the Technology, Engineering and Design Engineering faculty at N.C. State University.